Choose the device ecosystem whose child accounts and controls fit the games and online features your child will use, rather than choosing by hardware alone. A console keeps gaming settings centred on its platform, an iPad also needs controls for apps and websites, and a Windows PC needs attention to both family settings and individual game services. Whichever route you choose, use the child’s correct age and check communication, content, time and purchase settings before online play.
If a child expects to use multiplayer games, friend requests or chat, the household needs controls it can set before play begins and revisit later. Ofcom reports that more than half of children who game online say they play with people they have not met offline.
If downloads or in-game purchases are likely, a separate child account lets parents check the approval options instead of relying on an adult login or an unrestricted payment method.
If the choice is between a dedicated console, a tablet and a Windows PC, consider how age filters and time limits will work across the devices and accounts the child will actually use.
For a child’s first online gaming device, decide which concern would most influence your household’s choice, then check the controls on the specific platform and services you plan to use.
Consider it when: Gaming is the device’s main purpose and you want to manage play through a console’s family settings.
Bear in mind: Management differs between Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox. Nintendo says its Switch controls apply to the console rather than an individual user, while PlayStation and Xbox use child-account settings.
Consider it when: The child will use games alongside apps, websites or messaging and the parent can manage Apple Family Sharing.
Bear in mind: Apple’s controls require a separate child Apple Account; availability can vary with the device, software version, region and child’s age.
Consider it when: The child also needs general computing and the household can manage Microsoft family settings alongside game-service accounts.
Bear in mind: Microsoft says its web and search filters depend on the child being signed in and using supported browsing arrangements, including Microsoft Edge.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Chat and multiplayer | Check friend requests, voice and text chat, privacy and multiplayer permissions for the intended games and services. | If my child will play with others online, I want to decide who can contact them without ruling out play with known friends. Roughly 31% of consumers put control over online contact first. |
| Purchases | Check approval for downloads and in-game purchases, then how the store handles gift cards, account credit and saved payment methods. | When games offer purchases, I want requests to come to me before my child spends. For roughly 31% of consumers, purchase oversight is the primary concern. |
| Age and content | Set up a separate account with the child’s correct age; review platform content limits and each game’s PEGI rating and descriptors. | I want the account and content settings to reflect my child’s age, rather than relying on the device category to filter games. This is the leading need for roughly 23% of consumers. |
| Time and oversight | Check whether time limits, activity views and remote changes work with the chosen accounts and devices. | If gaming needs to fit around our household routine, I want limits I can manage without watching every session. Roughly 15% of consumers place this need first. |
An adult login can bypass the child-specific settings you intended to use. Ofcom says the correct registered age helps platforms apply restrictions for younger users.
Create a separate child account with the correct age, connect it to the parent-managed family setup and keep the parent’s sign-in private.
Xbox says a child account can still make purchases with gift cards or money already in its Microsoft account, even when purchase approval is enabled.
Before adding funds, check how each store and game service treats account balances, gift cards and in-game currency.
Games and services can have their own chat, privacy and store settings. Microsoft’s web and search filtering also depends on supported browsing arrangements.
List the services your child intends to use and review their settings after configuring the device and child account.
PEGI says its age ratings describe content suitability, not game difficulty. They do not configure a game’s chat, multiplayer or purchases.
Use the rating and descriptors as a content check, then review the online and payment settings separately.
Relevant to households considering Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch and wanting console controls managed through a mobile app.
Relevant to PS5 and PS4 households prepared to set up and manage separate child accounts.
Relevant to households considering Xbox or a Windows PC and willing to manage family accounts alongside the child’s games and services.
Relevant to iPad households where gaming sits alongside apps, websites and communication.
Use a separate child account with the child’s correct age. Ofcom says accurate age details help platforms apply age-appropriate restrictions; connect the account to the parent-managed family setup rather than sharing the adult login.
Do not rely on it as a complete spending block. Apple’s Ask to Buy covers eligible downloads and in-app purchases, while Xbox says child accounts can still spend gift cards or existing Microsoft-account credit; check every store and payment method the child can access.
Create the child account with the correct age, then review content access, communication, multiplayer, purchases and time settings. Ask which games and services the child intends to use so you can check their own controls as well as the device settings.
No. PEGI says its ratings address age suitability of the content, not game difficulty. Read the rating descriptors and assess the game’s online features separately.